The substantial cuts in the salaries
of both President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Professor Yemi Osinbajo
earlier announced when the duo came to office last year may be nothing to write
home about as both of them including cabinet ministers and other political
appointees pocketed the sum of N2.295 billion as official salaries and
allowances in the last one year, Economic Confidential has gathered.

The development is coming at a time
the federal government kick-started a national orientation campaign premised on
the “Change Begins with me.”

In the report obtained by the
economic intelligence magazine which showed the official remunerations of the
president, vice-president, cabinet ministers, Secretary to the Government of
the Federation (SGF) and the Head of Service of the Federation among other
chief executives, are in tandem with the approval of the Revenue Mobilisation,
Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

A critical examination of the report
indicated that Mr. President has an annual basic salary of N3.51million,
vice-president N3.03million, while ministers, SGF, Head of Service and chairmen
of boards of statutory agencies have N2.02million respectively.

As for members of constitutional
bodies, special advisers, speech writers, directors general, Accountant General
of the Federation, permanent secretaries, CEOs of agencies and INEC Resident
Electoral Commissioners each have an annual basic salary of N1.9 million.

The report showed that only the
president and the vice-president in the executive arm of government enjoy the
hardship allowances of 50 per cent each of their annual basic salaries; 250 per
cent as constituency allowances and enjoy other perks to be provided (TBP) by
government. These benefits to be provided to the two leaders include, but not
limited to the following: accommodation, furniture, domestic staff, personal
assistants, utilities newspapers, vehicles, entertainment, maintenance and
estacode.

Meanwhile other appointees including
ministers, advisers, permanent secretaries and INEC resident commissioners are
entitled to 200 per cent of their annual basic salary for accommodation; 300
per cent for furniture; 75 per cent for Vehicle maintenance and fuel; 25 per
cent for personal assistant; 75 per cent for domestic staff; 45 per cent for
entertainment; 30 per cent for utilities; 15 per cent for newspapers, and 20
per cent for monitoring.

While president and vice-president
duty tours and estacode will be provided by government, other officers have
fixed rates. The estacode allowance per day for minister, SGF, Head of Service
and chairmen of board is $1,000 per night on foreign trip, member of
constitutional bodies $900 per night, special adviser and speech writer $800
per night while permanent secretary, Director General and INEC Electoral
Commissioner take $600 per night each on foreign trips.

Further checks revealed that an
average Nigerian worker with a minimum wage of N18,000 a month will have to
work for more than four years before earning the utility allowance for
ministers. Unless the remuneration package is reviewed downward for the
political appointees and upward for the civil servants the executives will
continue to enjoy the current salaries and allowances.

RMAFC determines and fixes the
remuneration packages of public and political office holders, while the
National Salaries, Wages and Income Commission fixes the salaries and
allowances of civil servants in Nigeria.